Az-Zukhruf 43:21
The Ornaments of Gold · Juz 25 · Page 490
أَمۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسۡتَمۡسِكُونَ ٢١
Or have We given them a book before it [i.e., the Qur’ān] to which they are adhering?
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
Change
Commentary on 43:18–25
أَوَمَن يُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ (Is it that (Allah has chosen) those (as His offspring) who are grown up in ornaments,... 43:18). This tells us that use of ornaments and adornment in accordance with 'Shari'ah is permissible for women. As such, there is consensus on this issue, but at the same time the manner of speech indicates that getting so much involved in adornment that one is busy in it the whole day long, is not proper; it is not only a symptom of one's being short-sighted, but also a cause of it.
وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ (and who cannot express themselves in debate clearly - 18). This reflects the reality that a great majority of women do not have the same ability as men to express their feelings clearly. Therefore, if it comes to argumentation, it is difficult for them to prove their own contention and to refute the other's arguments in a clear manner. But this applies to the majority. If some women are eloquent in their speech and excel even men in this regard, it does not go against this verse, because the rule applies to the majority, and not to every single individual.
Page 490
43:11
وَٱلَّذِي نَزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءَۢ بِقَدَرٖ فَأَنشَرۡنَا بِهِۦ بَلۡدَةٗ مَّيۡتٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ تُخۡرَجُونَ ١١
And who sends down rain from the sky in measured amounts, and We revive thereby a dead land - thus will you be brought forth -
43:12
وَٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡفُلۡكِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مَا تَرۡكَبُونَ ١٢
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount
43:13
لِتَسۡتَوُۥاْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِۦ ثُمَّ تَذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ رَبِّكُمۡ إِذَا ٱسۡتَوَيۡتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَتَقُولُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُۥ مُقۡرِنِينَ ١٣
That you may settle yourselves upon their backs and then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled upon them and say, "Exalted is He who has subjected this to us, and we could not have [otherwise] subdued it.1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "made it a companion" or "made it compatible." ↩
43:14
وَإِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ ١٤
And indeed we, to our Lord, will [surely] return."
43:15
وَجَعَلُواْ لَهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ جُزۡءًاۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَكَفُورٞ مُّبِينٌ ١٥
But they have attributed to Him from His servants a portion.1 Indeed, man is clearly ungrateful.
1 translator’s note
- By claiming that He (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) has a son or daughters, as it is said that a child is part of his parent. This concept is totally incompatible with Allāh's unity and exclusiveness. ↩
43:16
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخۡلُقُ بَنَاتٖ وَأَصۡفَىٰكُم بِٱلۡبَنِينَ ١٦
Or has He taken, out of what He has created, daughters and chosen you for [having] sons?
43:17
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ مَثَلٗا ظَلَّ وَجۡهُهُۥ مُسۡوَدّٗا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ١٧
And when one of them is given good tidings of that which he attributes to the Most Merciful in comparison [i.e., a daughter], his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
43:18
أَوَمَن يُنَشَّؤُاْ فِي ٱلۡحِلۡيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡخِصَامِ غَيۡرُ مُبِينٖ ١٨
So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident1 [attributed to Allāh]?
1 translator’s note
- Not "obvious" or "distinct" in an argument. Or not "seen," i.e., absent from battles. The reference is to a daughter. ↩
43:19
وَجَعَلُواْ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عِبَٰدُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ إِنَٰثًاۚ أَشَهِدُواْ خَلۡقَهُمۡۚ سَتُكۡتَبُ شَهَٰدَتُهُمۡ وَيُسۡـَٔلُونَ ١٩
And they described the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, as females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned.
43:20
وَقَالُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدۡنَٰهُمۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَخۡرُصُونَ ٢٠
And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have of that no knowledge. They are not but misjudging.
43:21
أَمۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسۡتَمۡسِكُونَ ٢١
Or have We given them a book before it [i.e., the Qur’ān] to which they are adhering?
43:22
بَلۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّهۡتَدُونَ ٢٢
Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided."